Trophee Hassan Preview, Picks & Analysis

Post by Sports Writer, Derek Clements 

THERE is a strong field in Morocco for the Trophee Hassan at the superb Golf du Palais in Agadir - it is hardly surprising since there is no European Tour event next week and The Masters takes centre stage the week after. It means that players who fail to be invited to Augusta will be spending the best part of three weeks twiddling their thumbs, waiting for the season to resume...in China!

Let's be honest, it is the last thing tournament players want or need at this time of year, especially when you consider that many of them also spent a wasted week waiting for the Madeira Islands Open to be officially abandoned.

Things are still pretty tight and sponsors continue to be careful with their money, but it simply can't be right that Morocco effectively heralds a break in proceedings. And thus the Throphee Hassan has attracted the likes of Alexander Levy, Tommy Fleetwood,  David Howell, Andy Sullivan, Romain wattel, Pablo Larrazabal, Alvaro Quiros, David Horsey, Tyrrell Hatton, Simon Dyson, Rafa Carbrera-Bello, Scott Jamieson and Alejandro Canizares, who enjoyed a wire-to-wire victory in 2014 and thus ended an eight-year wait for a second European Tour title. Canizares led from the start with an opening 62 and completed a five-shot win with a closing round of 70.

It gave him a 19 under par total in Agadir, but what many people will probably have forgotten is that the man in second place, coming home in just 29 for a final round of 63, was England’s Andy Sullivan. It was that performance that convinced Sullivan he belonged out here and gave him the belief to keep working on his game.

And work on it he did. The results have been spectacular. This season he has won twice and also contended at the Dubai Desert Classic in the company of the likes of Rory McIlroy, who won it, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Victor Dubuisson and Graeme McDowell. Sullivan has been walking on air all year and is exactly the sort of player the tour needs. He plays the game with a smile on his face and you still get the sense that he can't quite believe what has happened to him. Sullivan is riding high in the Race to Dubai and now has his sights set rather higher than they were just four months ago. For the Englishman, the targets are now playing in and competing for majors and seeing if he can win a place in Europe's Ryder Cup team next year.

A man with the same goals is Levy, the Frenchman who impressed so many of his fellow players last season by winning and contending on a consistent basis. Levy is one of a group of terrific French golfers who could easily form the backbone of Europe's Ryder Cup challenge for the next 10 years - Dubuisson is obviously one of the others, along with the gifted Romain Wattel.

At a time when so many countries are bemoaning the fact that participation levels are falling, France is clearly doing something right. It is interesting to note that the wearing of jeans on the golf course is not frowned upon in that part of the world, although there is obviously far, far more to it than that. The French are doing great things with junior golf, and those efforts are clearly starting to bear fruit.

Fleetwood was a beneficiary of such an approach to the game in the Southport area and now finds himself just outside the top 50 in the world. He has tasted competition in World Golf Championship events and is surely ready to move to the next level. Victory in Agadir would propel him into the top 50 and thus secure his entry to all four majors.

The Englishman struggled when he first joined the Tour, securing his card at the death. But he has now won a tournament and was a model of consistency in 2014, hence the meteoric rise in his ranking.

It has also been marvellous to see David Howell back at or near the top of leaderboards. The man with what is widely regarded as one of the best putting strokes in the business, had suffered personal problems and a loss of confidence, but is once again firing on all cylinders and can compete on any course, anywhere in the world.

Quiros has been out of the frame for far too long. He was dogged by injury but insists he is now fully fit, and he could find that the course in Agadir is made to measure for his game. You sense that all he needs to restore his confidence and consistency is a win. Consistency is not a word you would associate with Larrazabal. When he is good, he is great; when he is bad he is just plain awful. But he likes this part of the world and if he can get off to a decent start he will contend.

Trophee Hassan Betting Picks

To win: Alexander Levy 22/1 A superb ball striker and a proven winner

Each way: David Howell 50/1. Watch him go if he gets the putter working

Each way: Romain Wattel 40/1 I am convinced he could be the best of the French

Trophee Hassan Fantasy Picks

Alexander Levy 22/1 A safe bet to finish in the money

David Howell 50/1 Has fallen in love with golf again

Romain Wattel 40/1 Chomping at the bit for a win

Tommy Fleetwood 40/1 Is there a more consistent player?

Alvaro Quiros 55/1 Long overdue a big week

Pablo Larrazabal 25/1 Will contend or miss the cut by a mile

Andy Sullivan 20/1 Getting used to being in contention

Simon Dyson 90/1 Showing signs of his best form

David Horsey 30/1 Surely ready to string together four good rounds

Rafa Cabrera-Bello 33/1 A man for the big occasion